Africa New Life Ministries

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19

This week we were joined by guest speaker Pastor Guy Gray of River West Church in Oregon. River West has been sponsoring Africa New Life Ministries in Rwanda. In this sermon, Pastor Guy shares through three core learnings that he experienced in Rwanda:

Evil is a reality. It resides in the human heart.

The gospel is the power of God and salvation. The savior is greater than the evil.

It truly matters what we do as Christ followers.

Watch the sermon recording below or listen to the audio podcast to learn about the new beginnings God is planting in the country.

Discussion Questions

Guy talked about the “two hands” of the Gospel – Gospel proclamation and acts of mercy. Of these two, which do you feel more comfortable expressing in your own life and ministry? Can you see any opportunities in your own life right now to reach out with the hand of Gospel proclamation, or the hand of Gospel mercy?

Jesus is not done yet! He is the risen Lord who is personally directing a movement of Gospel impact in our world; and we get play a part in it! How do you personally stay alert and attentive to what Jesus may be doing “right here, right now” in your own life setting? Can you share something you see Him doing; somehow you sense him moving? How might you actively join him in his work?

Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Evil is real. The recent history of Rwanda is a radical, concrete example of that fact. For the Christians of Rwanda Romans 12:21 is a powerful call, not only to resist the grip of evil, but to transform their culture by the power of God and doing that which is “good.”

But what might that look like in your life, right here in our culture? What does it mean to resist evil here? What form does evil take in your city, your community, your life setting? How do you resist it? And what does it look like to do “good”?

“The Gospel is the Power of God unto salvation.” Can you tell a story of Gospel transformation that you have experienced in your own life – your own story perhaps? Or can you tell a story of someone you personally know who has been transformed by the gospel?

In his message, Guy said – “It actually matters what we DO in this life.” Do you believe that? Why or why not? Is there anything you are doing right now in your life that you are intentionally doing because you believe it will actually make a difference for the cause of Christ in our world? What could you do to start living a life of greater intentional impact as a Christ follower?